System for handling electrical components for vehicle

Abstract

A system for handling electrical components of a vehicle includes a fixture, a vehicle component, a robot, a guiding apparatus and a controller. The fixture includes at least one module having a terminal. The vehicle component is coupled to the fixture and includes an electrical connector. The guiding apparatus is movable between a first position in which the guiding apparatus is disengaged with the module and a second position in which the guiding apparatus is engaged with the module. The guiding apparatus defines an opening that includes a shape that corresponds to the shape of the terminal. The controller is configured to instruct the robot to grasp the electrical connector based on data received, move the guiding apparatus to the second position, and instruct the robot to connect the electrical connector to the terminal. The electrical connector extending through the opening of the guiding apparatus to connect to the terminal.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for handling electrical components of a vehicle, the system comprising:
 a fixture including at least one module coupled thereto, the at least one module including a first terminal;   a vehicle component coupled to the fixture and including a first electrical connector;   at least one robot;   a guiding apparatus movable between a first position in which the guiding apparatus is disengaged with the at least one module and a second position in which the guiding apparatus is engaged with the at least one module to inhibit movement of the at least one module, the guiding apparatus defines a first opening that includes a shape that corresponds to the shape of the first terminal of the at least one module, the first opening surrounds the first terminal in response to the guiding apparatus being moved to the second position; and   a controller in communication with the at least one robot and the guiding apparatus, the controller configured to:
 instruct the at least one robot to grasp the first electrical connector based on data received; 
 move the guiding apparatus to the second position; and 
 instruct the at least one robot to connect the first electrical connector to the first terminal of the at least one module, the first electrical connector extending through the first opening of the guiding apparatus to connect to the first terminal. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to move the guiding apparatus from the second position to the first position in response to the first electrical connector being connected to the first terminal. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the guiding apparatus includes a first member and a second member, and wherein the first member and the second member are spaced apart from each other when the guiding apparatus is in the first position and engaged with each other to define the first opening when the guiding apparatus is in the second position. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , further comprising an actuator assembly coupled to the guiding apparatus and configured to move the guiding apparatus between the first position and the second position. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the vehicle component includes a rigid wire harness body, and wherein the first electrical connector is coupled to the rigid wire harness body prior to the at least one robot grasping the first electrical connector. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one module is removably coupled to the fixture. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the vehicle component includes a rigid wire harness body and a collar secured to the rigid wire harness body, and wherein the first electrical connector is coupled to the collar prior to the at least one robot grasping the first electrical connector. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the at least one module includes a second terminal; and   the guiding apparatus defines a second opening that includes a shape that corresponds to the shape of the second terminal of the at least one module, the second opening surrounds the second terminal in response to the guiding apparatus being moved to the second position.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the vehicle component includes a second electrical connector;   the controller is configured to instruct the at least one robot to connect the second electrical connector to the second terminal of the at least one module after the first electrical connector is connected to the first terminal, the second electrical connector extends through the second opening of the guiding apparatus to connect to the second terminal.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one module includes a plurality of modules. 
     
     
         11 . A system for handling electrical components of a vehicle, the system comprising:
 a fixture including at least one module coupled thereto, the at least one module including a first terminal;   a vehicle component coupled to the fixture to form a structure, the vehicle component includes a first electrical connector;   at least one robot;   a guiding apparatus movable between a first position in which the guiding apparatus is disengaged with the at least one module and a second position in which the guiding apparatus is engaged with the at least one module to inhibit movement of the at least one module, the guiding apparatus defines a first opening that includes a shape that corresponds to the shape of the first terminal of the at least one module, the first opening surrounds the first terminal in response to the guiding apparatus being moved to the second position and comprises an insertion region and an connecting region, the insertion region having an area that is greater than an area of the connecting region; and   a controller in communication with the at least one robot and the guiding apparatus, the controller configured to:
 instruct the at least one robot to grasp the first electrical connector based on data received; 
 move the guiding apparatus to the second position; and 
 instruct the at least one robot to connect the first electrical connector to the first terminal of the at least one module, the first electrical connector extending through the first opening of the guiding apparatus to connect to the first terminal. 
   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the insertion region narrows toward the connecting region. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one robot includes a first robot and a second robot, and wherein the first robot connects the first electrical connector to the first terminal and the second robot moves the structure after the first robot connects the first electrical connector to the first terminal. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to move the guiding apparatus from the second position to the first position in response to the first electrical connector being connected to the first terminal. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the guiding apparatus includes a first member and a second member, and wherein the first member and the second member are spaced apart from each other when the guiding apparatus is in the first position and engaged with each other to define the first opening when the guiding apparatus is in the second position. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , further comprising an actuator assembly coupled to the guiding apparatus and configured to move the guiding apparatus between the first position and the second position. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the vehicle component includes a rigid wire harness body, and wherein the first electrical connector is coupled to the rigid wire harness body prior to the at least one robot grasping the first electrical connector. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the vehicle component includes a rigid wire harness body and a collar secured to the rigid wire harness body, and wherein the first electrical connector is coupled to the collar prior to the at least one robot grasping the first electrical connector. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one module includes a plurality of modules. 
     
     
         20 . A system for handling electrical components of a vehicle, the system comprising:
 a fixture including a plurality of modules coupled thereto, each module including a first terminal and a second terminal;   a vehicle component coupled to the fixture to form a structure, the vehicle component including a rigid wire harness body, a first electrical connector, and a second electrical connector, the first and second electrical connectors coupled to the rigid wire harness body;   at least one robot;   a guiding apparatus movable between a first position in which the guiding apparatus is disengaged with one of the plurality of modules and a second position in which the guiding apparatus is engaged with the one of the plurality of modules to inhibit movement of the one of the plurality of modules, the guiding apparatus defines a first opening and a second opening each including a shape that corresponds to a shape of the first terminal and the second terminal, the first opening surrounds the first terminal in response to the guiding apparatus being moved to the second position and the second opening surrounds the second terminal in response to the guiding apparatus being moved to the second position, each of the first and second openings comprises an insertion region and an connecting region, the insertion region having an area that is greater than an area of the connecting region; and   a controller in communication with the at least one robot and the guiding apparatus, the controller configured to:
 instruct the at least one robot to grasp the first electrical connector based on data received; 
 move the guiding apparatus to the second position; 
 instruct the at least one robot to connect the first electrical connector to the first terminal, the first electrical connector extending through the first opening of the guiding apparatus to connect to the first terminal; 
 instruct the at least one robot to grasp the second electrical connector; 
 instruct the at least one robot to connect the second electrical connector to the second terminal, the second electrical connector extending through the second opening of the guiding apparatus to connect to the second terminal; 
 move the guiding apparatus from the second position to the first position in response to the first electrical connector being connected to the first terminal and the second electrical connector being connected to the second terminal; and 
 instruct the at least one robot to move the structure after the first electrical connector is connected to the first terminal and the second electrical connector is connected to the second terminal.